


All About Agent

by Jestana



Series: Jedi Besties and Side Stories [4]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-08 05:38:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5485595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The adventures of Cipher Nine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hutt Space

**Author's Note:**

> Expanding a bit more on the Jedi Besties story. Here we see a bit more of what Kaliyo's been doing. I don't know how many chapters total there's going to be of this. We'll have to wait and see.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaliyo hooks up with a not-so-dumb mug on Hutta.

**Post Hutta**

"You got an actual name, Agent?" Kaliyo asked as their shuttle swung around Nar Shaddaa to gain momentum.

The big man didn't answer right away, his attention on Hutta's moon. Finally, he sighed and turned to Kaliyo. "I do, but I'm not going to share it. Not yet, anyway."

"Fair enough." Kailyo nodded. They barely knew each other as it was. "Hey, maybe we should skip out on reporting to Dromund Kaas and go to Nar Shaddaa instead."

He shook his head, touching the implants that traced along his cheekbone. "No. Nar Shaddaa holds no appeal for me."

"You were awfully interested in it just a few minutes ago." She folded her arms across her chest, skeptical.

Agent dropped his hand to his lap, fiddling with his glove. "Bad memories."

"Got it. We all have those."

**Pre Nar Shaddaa**

"You gonna tell me what you have against Nar Shaddaa, Agent?" Kaliyo asked as they landed their shiny ship in its designated hangar.

After a long silence, he told her, "My parents died here, in a bombing. I was six? Seven? Doesn't matter. Me and my sister lived on the streets for about a year. Then the Imps picked me up while I was scrounging for food for the two of us. Turned out I had a talent for getting into places I shouldn't and blending in when necessary. So cybernetics were shoved into my head to make me smarter, faster, and grow bigger."

"That explains why you don't seem to be quite the loyal Imperial agent," Kaliyo mused as they finished powering down the engines and securing the ship. "Why not just… leave? Disappear during a mission or something?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders, and then shook his head. "It may not seem like it, but my missions are closely monitored. If I just ran, they'd track me down and kill me or something."

"So, what, you're biding your time until you can cut loose?" Kaliyo demanded, hands on her hips.

Agent nodded. "Pretty much. Just need to wait for the right moment."


	2. Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent deals with his mental and emotional reactions to the choices he's had to make.

**Post Alderaan**

When Kaliyo found the agent in the training room, he'd stripped down to the waist and busied himself with a punching bag. He'd been at it long enough that sweat gleamed on his golden brown skin. She admired the play of muscles in his back and ass for several moments before entering. "What happened down there that you're mauling a poor, defenseless punching bag?"

"Nothing," he answered shortly, punching the bag a few more times. Then he stopped and sighed. "Everything."

"Well, that clears it right up." She smirked. "Bit of a clusterfuck at the end, wasn't it?"

He nodded, picking at the tape he'd wrapped around his hands to protect them. "Pretty much. Cortess had his own wife killed. I can't imagine-- My parents loved each other. That's one thing I remember clearly. Dad would never have raised his hand to Mom, let alone _kill_ her! They only had hugs for me and my sister. Never slaps or knives in our guts."

"So what'd you do? Kill him?" Kaliyo didn't care one way or the other. She'd seen worse where she grew up.

Agent turned and punched the punching bag hard enough to send it flying across the room. "I _defended_ him! Against the damn Killiks!"

"Even Bugboy?" Kaliyo glanced towards the rear of the ship, where Vector had spent most of his time so far.

He nodded, walking over and kicking the punching bag for good measure. "Even Vector. They were going to force the family to become Joiners. I couldn't allow that."

"Why not?" Kaliyo rubbed her chin. "Might've improved them."

"Because that's what the Empire did to _me_ ," he snarled, turning to face her, gold eyes flashing angrily. "They _forced_ me to become one of them. I couldn't let that happen to someone else, even someone I despise as much as the Baron."

She considered that and slowly nodded. "All right, I see your point. Now what?"

"On to Hutta and taking out the Eagle for good."

**Post Jadus**

This time, Kaliyo found Agent in a corner of the cantina on Vaiken, drinking. Judging by the number of empty glasses on the table in front of him, he'd been at it for awhile. She slid onto the stool next to his. "What's your problem this time, Agent?"

"Lotsh of innoshent people are dead becuz of me," he muttered, tossing back the last of his drink. "Dun-- hic! --dun like it. Feel horrible."

"Clearly." She eyed the mess of glasses. "Why this time? You weren't bothered on Balmorra."

"Not ash many people then." Agent paused to hiccup. "Not ash many inoccentsh. Washn't me, anyway. Wash the rebelsh anyway."

Kaliyo shook her head and shooed away the serving droid heading to their table. "You gave them what they needed for those bombs."

"Thought you like blowing shit up." He peered at her with bleary eyes.

"I do, but I don't feel guilty afterwards." She sighed. She should have known better than to look for Agent. He wasn't going to be any fun. "Look, you did it, they're dead. You can't do anything about it now. Should have thought of it when you decided to fire the Eradicators."

He glowered at her before turning back to stare into his empty glass. "Hey, where'sh my drink?"


	3. Quite a Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent's life is turning into a bit of a mess thanks to his job.

**Pre Taris**

_“Legate, do you happen to have a sister?” “Why do you ask?” “One of our newer Jedi Knights looks a lot like you: hair, eyes, skin tone. They all match.” “What’s her name?” “That I won’t tell you. Not yet.”_

"Hey, you with me, Agent?" Kaliyo's voice banished the memory of his meeting with Ardun Kothe, as did the light tap of her fingers on his cheek.

Blinking, he banished the memory and rolled onto his side to smile reassuringly at her. "I'm fine, Kaliyo."

"You sure? You kind of spaced on me for a minute there." She propped herself up on one elbow.

He nodded, lightly tracing one of the tattoos on her cheek. "I'm sure."

"This double agent deal isn't going to bother you, is it?" She tilted her head into his touch, just a little.

He shook his head. "No, in fact, it just might help me with my long-term goal."

"Oh?" After a moment's thought, she blinked and grinned wickedly. "Oh! Right. I'm on board with whatever you decide to do, you know that, right?"

He grinned back, sliding his hand down to rest on her hip. "Why, Kaliyo, have you gone soft on me?"

"Not hardly." She snorted derisively, tracing his implants with her free hand. "I've just been having the best time with you and I plan to stick around."

He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. "You've made this whole thing bearable. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Why, Agent, are _you_ going soft on me?" She smirked, threading her fingers through his tight blond curls.

Smirking, he used the hand on her hip to pull her closer. "Does _that_ feel like I've gone soft?"

"Nope." She gladly pressed closer to him. "Would you like a hand with that?"

"I hoped you'd offer more than that." His gold eyes twinkled playfully.

She laughed and kissed him.

**Between Quesh and Hoth**

"If you didn't want to remain exclusive, you just had to tell me," Agent told Kaliyo quietly once she'd left the 'fresher.

She groaned. "Are you going to let that go?"

"Not until I have a clearer idea of where I stand with you." He folded his arms across his chest.

Kaliyo pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes. "Look, I know something's going on with you that you're not telling me. It's the same with me."

He shook his head. "I _can't_ tell you, Kaliyo. It's--" he groaned and clutched his head. His voice hoarse, he changed tacks, "If you want to sleep with other people, go right ahead. I won't stop you. Just don't bring them to the ship."

"What, don't want me shoving it in your face that I'm sleeping around?" She smirked.

He shook his head again, and then winced. "No, I don't want your lovers to have a chance to snoop around here." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I need to lay down."

Kaliyo watched him disappear into his quarters and bit her lower lip. Bringing Dibbon to the ship had been a stupid idea on her part, but Agent's actions since Taris had confused her and it'd hurt that he hadn't seen fit to confide in her, despite the fact that she'd been with him since Hutta. _Guess some sort of conditioning is keeping him from doing it._ Stifling a sigh, she walked over to the medbay where Dr. Rakghoul spent most of his time. "Hey, Doc?"

"Yes, Miss Djannis?" He didn't look up from the datapad he was reading.

She pointed over her shoulder. "I think Agent has a migraine coming on. Anything you can give him to make the pain go away?"

"As it so happens, this isn't his first migraine since I came on board." He rummaged through his case and produced a vial, sliding it into an injector. He presented it to Kaliyo. "Here you are."

She didn't take it. "Why are you giving it to me? Agent's the one with the migraine."

"He likes you more than me," he explained with a shrug.

Rolling her eyes, Kaliyo took the injector and headed to Agent's quarters. Not surprisingly, the lights were off and even the viewports were covered. Once her eyes adjusted, Kaliyo spotted him sprawled across the bed, one arm covering his eyes. As she moved closer, her foot caught on the clothes he'd left piled on the deck. "Agent?"

"Don't shout," he whispered, not even moving his arm.

She rolled her eyes again and moved closer, lowering her voice. "I brought something for your migraine, courtesy of Dr. Rakghoul."

Sighing, he carefully shifted into a sitting position and extended his arm. She pressed the injector to his skin and the medicine disappeared. Once she pulled it away, he sat with his head bowed. "Thanks, Kaliyo."

"Anytime." She removed her shirt and shorts, tossing them on the floor with his clothes.

He didn't react until she climbed onto the bed with him. "What are you doing?"

"Lay down and I'll show you." She sat back against the headboard and patted her lap invitingly.

A little warily, he laid down with his head in her lap. Once he was comfortable, she began rubbing his temples with the tips of her fingers. After several moments, he released a deep sigh and relaxed further, his eyes sliding shut. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep completely, his broad chest rising and falling steadily. Kaliyo remained where she was, idly tracing his implants, and then scritching her fingers through his hair. _I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm sticking with you, Agent._


	4. Past and Present Connect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaliyo finally makes the connection between Agent and an old friend of hers.

**Post Chapter Two**

Kaliyo hadn't seen much of Agent since Keeper told them to take some time off. Though they were docked at Vaiken Spacedock, he hadn't left the ship much. The rest of them had taken advantage of the fleet's amenities, but not Agent. After another night sitting by herself in the cantina, she returned to the ship and pressed the chime for Agent's quarters. When she didn't receive a response in a timely manner, she pressed it again, pounding on the door for good measure. "Come on, Agent, I know you're in there!"

When the door slid open, she nearly recoiled from him. Agent looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot with bags underneath. If his hair had been long enough, it probably would have been a mess. His tank top and shorts were wrinkled as if he hadn't bothered to change for days. Without a word, he stepped aside so she could enter. Once the door slid shut, he moved to his desk and slumped onto the chair. Almost as an afterthought, he waved at his unmade bed. "Have a seat."

"You look like hell, Agent." She remained standing, studying him.

"As ever, you know just how to cheer me up." He scrubbed his fingers through his hair, making a face.

"I get it, you wish you could've turned for real." She'd seen the regret on his face as they'd left the facility. "You can't keep moping about it, though."

Agent nodded and reached for a datapad, tossing it to her. Kaliyo caught it and glanced him, curious. "What's this?"

"My sister. Turns out she survived Nar Shaddaa and became a Jedi." He sighed deeply, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes.

Looking down at the datapad, Kaliyo nearly dropped it in shock. She recognized that face! It'd been _years_ since she'd last seen it, but it was unmistakeable. _Belle. Of course! How did I miss the resemblance?_ "Well, at least you know she's alive."

"Yeah." Agent sighed and heaved himself out of the chair, tugging off his tanktop. "Time to stop moping and get my ass in gear."

As he headed for his fresher, Kaliyo set the datapad aside. She'd read the rest later. "Want some help scrubbing your back?"

"Sure, you can even help scrub my front." He turned to her with a shadow of his usual playful smile, his shorts falling to the floor.

Smiling back, Kaliyo followed him to the 'fresher, removing her own clothes as she went.

**Post Belsavis**

"How's your friend?" Agent asked once he boarded the ship.

Kaliyo shook her head. "Not good. Her best friend was apparently captured by Imperials a couple weeks ago."

"What does her friend do that he was captured?" He sounded puzzled as he followed Kaliyo to her quarters.

After digging around on her desk, she produced the datapad he'd shown her. "It's because of _who_ her best friend is."

"Who?" he looked down at the datapad and stared at the holoimage. "She's best friends with _Mei_? Wait, if you knew her, then you knew--"

"Yeah, I knew Belle and her friend years ago." Kailyo shrugged. "Didn't make the connection until you gave me that."

His hands clenched around the datapad. "Mei's been captured?"

Kaliyo nodded. "Her friend would know. I haven't heard squat about a capture myself, but maybe you have."

Agent shook his head. "Haven't heard anything, but I haven't been looking. Guess it's time for a little digging."

"Thanks, Agent." Kaliyo smiled, relieved.

Quietly, he told her, "My name is Vort'ell, but keep it to yourself."

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally have Agent's name! Yay! He already had a cameo in Jedi Besties, but I couldn't resist.


	5. End of Cipher Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cipher Nine disappears into the arms of the Republic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS for the end of the Imperial Agent storyline!
> 
> The first part takes place during the Voss chapter of Jedi Besties and the rest takes place after Jedi Besties has ended.

**Post Voss**

Once they were on their way to Dromund Kaas, Kaliyo followed Agent into his quarters. While she watched, he turned on the jamming device and white noise generator he kept on his desk. Then he opened one of the top drawers and pulled out a holocomm. After only a moment or two, it beeped to announce an incoming call. He pressed the button and a familiar figure winked into view, this time wearing a tanktop and lounge pants. "Mei. Stars, it's good to see you."

"Right back atcha, Vort." Mei grinned, her eyes bright with tears for a moment. "I made sure my end of the call is secure. What about yours?"

Agent looked pleased that Mei had thought of it. "Burner comm and I took precautions."

"Right." Mei nodded, looking a little disappointed. "I have so much to tell you, but this isn't the time, is it?"

He shook his head regretfully. "Sadly, no. I'm not here by choice and I'm trying to get out, but it's taking more time and effort than I thought it would."

"I understand. It's enough to know you're still alive and Liyo's watching your back." Mei smiled up at him. "Feel free to send any messages for me through her and I'll do the same."

Agent nodded, looking thoughtful. "Stay alive, Mei. We're long overdue for a chat."

"Got that right. Take care, Vort." Mei blew him a kiss. "I love you, bro."

"Love you, too, sis." Agent blew a kiss back to her.

Her image winked out and he let out a long sigh, slumping onto his bed. Then he slid a sly look at Kaliyo, who'd stayed by the door. "Liyo?"

"Only three people in this galaxy can call me that and you're not one of them," she told him sternly, straightening up.

Agent nodded and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Stars, I'm tired."

Kaliyo perched beside him on the bed. "Too tired to show me how things went with Yana-Ton?"

"Even for that." He dropped his hands and looked at Kaliyo apologetically. "I just want to sleep right now."

She shrugged and nudged his shoulder with hers. "Mind some company?"

"Not at all." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Kaliyo."

"For what?" She looked puzzled.

He kept his answer simple. "For sticking with me all this time."

"Eh, it's too much work to find someone else now." She shrugged indifferently. As he tugged off his shirt, she asked, "How did Belle know to call you?"

Agent propped one hand on his belt and moved the fingers in a series of signs for numbers. It took Kaliyo a bit to figure out that they were a holofrequency and time. Then she grinned. He grinned back and unbuckled his belt. "Obviously, Mei figured it out."

"Obviously." She watched his back and ass as he bent to pick up his pajamas from where he'd tossed them while getting dressed before leaving the ship. "You _sure_ you're too tired for more than sleep?"

Laughing softly, Agent nodded. "I'm sure. Sorry, Kaliyo."

"Some other time, then."

"Yes, after I've had some sleep."

**Post Storyline**

"Legate… there's a lot of bad blood between us, but I have to ask: you ever consider joining the Republic?" Ardun looked at Agent over his shoulder.

Agent clenched his hands into fists. "The Republic is my home, Kothe. I've been trying to get back to it for over ten years."

The Jedi turned to face Agent fully, clearly surprised. "What?"

"Knight Meibelle is my younger sister," Agent explained, his eyes on Kothe's. "We were orphaned on Nar Shaddaa when I was six or seven. We survived on scraps for about a year when the Imps caught me trying to steal from them. Figuring I was a street kid and no one would miss me, they shipped me to one of their orphanages. They saw something in me and decided to train me to be an agent." He tapped the cybernetics on his face. "They gave me these to make me smarter, faster, bigger. Now that the Star Cabal is out of the picture, I'm done with them. I want to go _home_."

Ardun shook his head. "Do you realize how valuable you'd be as a double agent?"

"I don't care." Agent closed the distance between them with a few angry strides, poking Kothe's chest with one finger. "I want _out_. I want to see my sister and hug her. I want to find out how she ended up with the Jedi."

Slowly, Kothe nodded. "I see. I can facilitate that, but you need to go back to your superiors one last time and report to them. If you just disappear, they'll look for you."

"It's the last time, though." Agent warned him, folding his arms across his chest. "And I'm not joining the SIS, either. I'm done playing spook."

"Fair enough." Ardun nodded again. "Meet me on Nar Shaddaa once you've reported in. Then we'll see about disabling the failsafe in your cybernetics."

"Failsafe?" Kaliyo asked, speaking up for the first time.

Agent looked at her with a wry smile. "You don't think I stuck around all this time simply because I was waiting for an opportune moment, did you?" He continued without waiting for her reaction. "Keeper and Watcher X were conditioned to obey. For me, though, they incorporated a failsafe trigger in my cybernetics. If they suspected I was a flight risk or a liability, they'd just transmit a code that would, in essence, cause brain death. I'd still be alive, but I'd be a vegetable, unable to perform even the simplest tasks."

"Fortunately, the SIS has figured out how to disable the failsafe," Kothe told them. "Once it's deactivated, we'll begin the process to reinstate you as a Republic citizen."

"Thank you." Agent pressed his hands together in front of his chest. "I'll see you on Nar Shaddaa."

"See you there, Legate."

"My name is Vort'ell Wymer," he told Kothe just before he swept past the man and headed to the airlock where they'd docked their ship.

*

Now underway to Nar Shaddaa, Vort'ell summoned his crew to the conference room. Kaliyo lounged against the wall by the door. She'd already told him her intention to follow him to the Republic. The others needed to be given the chance to decide where to go. Vector, Raina, and Eckard sat at the table. SCORPIO stood at the back. When he spoke, he dropped the Imperial accent he'd been using, switching to his natural accent, startling the three humans. "No doubt, most of you have wondered about my loyalty to the Empire in the time you've worked with me. The truth of the matter is that I was _never_ loyal to the Empire."

He explained it as succinctly as he could. "Now that I've reported to the Minister, I'm going to Nar Shaddaa so I can return the Republic at last. Any of you are welcome to come with me. If you choose to remain in the Empire, I respect your decision and only ask that you not tell anyone what happened to me."

"I'm not done with you yet, Agent," SCORPIO announced while the others digested what Vort'ell had told them. "I will go with you and see this Republic."

Kaliyo waved a hand vaguely. "I'm sticking with you, Agent."

Vort'ell nodded briefly at each of them. "Thank you, Kaliyo, SCORPIO."

"I'm not about to leave Project Protean behind now that I'm running it," Eckard told him after a few minutes' silence. "I'll remain in the Empire."

"And we have the Killik-Imperial alliance to nurture," Vector contributed, his voice neutral. "Your story does explain why you reacted so strongly to the Killiks' intentions on Alderaan."

He bowed his head for a moment, his anger at the Killiks coming back. "Yes. It was very like what happened to me. I couldn't let it happen to anyone else, even someone as deserving of it as the Baron." Vort'ell cleared his throat. "Dr. Lokin, I'll leave the ship in your care. Vector, you can stay with him or go your own way. I'm done directing your activities."

The two men nodded and Vort'ell looked at Raina. She'd remained quiet during their discussion, her gaze on her hands, which she'd folded together in her lap. After a couple minutes, Raina looked up and froze when she noticed they were looking at her. "What?"

"Will you stay with Dr. Lokin or go with me, Raina?" Vort'ell asked gently.

"I-- I don't know," Raina admitted quietly. "The Empire's been my home, but-- they-- I--"

She jumped to her feet and tried to dash from the room. Kaliyo caught her, but Vort'ell shook his head. "Let her go, Kaliyo." Raina hurried out. "She has a lot of thinking to do. For now, we have preparations to make."

*

Ardun Kothe had expected Vort'ell and Kaliyo, but not the droid or human woman. He raised his eyebrows. "Who are your other friends, Vort'ell?"

"You remember Kaliyo Djannis," he indicated the Rattataki. "This is SCORPIO and Raina Temple. They've all decided to come to the Republic with me."

"I'm only here because it will provide me with further new experiences," SCORPIO amended coolly, looking around.

He focused on Raina. His days as a Jedi were long past, but he hadn't lost his connection to the Force. "You have some strength in the Force."

She nodded. "Yes, sir, that's what prompted me to come with, um, Vort. I'm not very strong, but it's just enough to get me in trouble with the Sith."

"I'll contact the Jedi Council and arrange for you to meet with them," he told her, and then turned his attention to Vort'ell. "If you'll come with me, we'll take care of that failsafe."

As he led Vort'ell into another room, his fellow agent approached the other three. "Hello, Ladies. Senior Agent Jonas Balkar. I'll facilitate your transition to the Republic."

"Just tell me where to find the best cantinas and I'll be fine," Kaliyo told him with a cheeky grin.

He grinned back. "You and I will get along great, Miss Djannis."

"Pfft, I don't stand on formality." Kaliyo waved a hand dismissively. "Call me Kaliyo."

*

"You're not in danger any longer, Vort'ell," Ardun assured him. "The failsafe has been neutralized. There's just one last piece of business for us to settle."

He opened another door and a familiar figure entered the room. "Vort!"

"Mei!" Grinning, he caught her in a tight hug when she rushed towards him. He pressed his face to her hair, blinking back tears. After a few moments, he gently pushed her back so he could get a good look at her. "It's good to see you, but how--"

"A little birdie let me know you were on your way to Nar Shaddaa," Mei explained, wiping away the tears that insisted on falling. "So, I came here and insisted on seeing you."

"Jedi aren't supposed to form attachments," Ardun interjected with a wry smile. "It's actually made her more effective, so I didn't see the harm in letting you two reunite."

Vort'ell nodded, hugging Mei once again. "I love you, sis."

"Love you, too, bro." She hugged him back. After a moment, she stepped back. "There's someone I'd like you to meet, Vort."

She turned to the door she'd come through and another familiar figure stood there. "You were on Voss with Mei. Kaliyo called you Te."

"Yes, this is Master Alte'zu, Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order." Mei smiled fondly as her friend joined them. "Alte, this is my big brother, Vort'ell."

Alte'zu rolled her eyes, smiling. "You just had to go for the whole title," she teased even as she held her hand out to Vort'ell. "I'm so glad to finally meet you."

"Of course, I did, because you earned it." Mei grinned brightly.

Vort'ell shook Alte's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Alte'zu. Do I have you to thank for watching out for my baby sister when I couldn't?"

"Two years, Vort," Mei reminded him, still grinning.

He smiled back at her. "You're still younger than me."

Alte'zu's smile turned sad for a moment before brightening. "Yes, it was hard work, but I had help."

"I can take care of myself, you know," Mei reminded them, reaching out to squeeze Alte's arm briefly. Vort'ell wondered about that, but decided his questions could wait until later.

Vort'ell gave her a flat look. "Unless you've learned not to charge in somewhere without stopping to think first, you need help."

"She hasn't," Alte'zu informed him, grinning unrepentantly at Mei, fondness in her pale eyes.

Mei huffed an annoyed sigh, but smiled fondly at both Alte and Vort'ell. "I can't imagine things getting any better than this."

"I'm just glad to be home at last," Vort'ell told her, stifling a pang of regret that he'd missed so much of Mei's life. _We have each other **now**. That's the important thing._

"There's something else you two should know," Ardun told them, holding a different datapad. "About your mother."

Vort'ell and Mei exchanged glances. "What about her? All I remember is that she had beautiful blonde hair like mine."

Kothe extended the datapad to them. Vort'ell took it and held it so both he and Mei could look at it. "There's a reason Vort'ell was such a good intelligence agent: your mother was SIS."

While Mei stared at the holoimage of their mother, Vort'ell made the connection, "The bombing that killed her and dad was deliberate, wasn't it? Targeted at her."

"It was. I'm sorry." Ardun nodded, bowing his head. "She'd been investigating a possible traitor in the SIS ranks. The traitor got wind of the investigation and lured her into a trap, along with her husband, and blew up the building they were in. He knew she had kids and headed to the hotel they'd been staying at. By the time he got there, you two were gone. The SIS had headed straight there, too, after the bombing and caught the traitor."

"That was Mei's fault," Vort'ell explained, gesturing to her. "She insisted that she 'had a bad feeling' and that we had to leave. We snuck out of the hotel and lived on the streets after that."

"Staying there just _felt_ wrong to me," Mei admitted in a quiet voice. "I think I tried to talk Mom and Dad out of going out that day, but Mom insisted, so they went anyway."

After a moment's thought, Kothe offered, "It sounds like your Force abilities were manifesting already. Have there been other instances where you 'had a bad feeling'?"

"A few." Mei nodded, biting her lip as if the memory was painful. "Master Orgus didn't listen to me, either."

Alte squeezed Mei's arm gently. "I think he listened," she said. "He just knew that it needed to be done, anyway, and your path wasn't to go with him."

Mei managed a small smile for Alte. "Why do you have to be logical?"

"One of us has to be," Alte replied, smiling affectionately at Mei.

"It sounds like the Force was guiding you even at that age," Ardun gently interjected. "In any case, the SIS didn't find either of you again until Meibelle and Alte'zu ended up on Dantooine for Jedi training. Since Meibelle didn't even remember her last name and Vort'ell's location was unknown at the time, the SIS and the Jedi Council decided to let Meibelle train."

"What about when Keeper assigned me to be a double agent for you?" Vort'ell asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"At the time, I was struck by your resemblance to Meibelle," Kothe nodded in her direction. "I even commented on it to you. I took a blood sample and ran a DNA test, just like the Jedi had done for your sister. My superiors ordered me to continue with my plans, hoping that your offer to flip was genuine."

He made a face and sighed. "I wish it could have been, but the timing wasn't right. Not then."

"We know that now, and my superiors hoped I could talk you into being a true double agent," Ardun sounded reluctant.

Vort'ell shook his head sharply. "No. I refuse to even _pretend_ to work for the Empire."

Mei wrapped her arms around Vort'ell, glaring at Kothe. "You're not taking my brother from me so soon after I got him back."

"Relax. I had no intention of actually trying to talk him into it." He gave them a wry smile. "I'll just tell them that you refused and wouldn't be budged on the matter."

"Thank you." Vort'ell hugged Mei tightly.

Ardun offered his hand. "Welcome home."

Vort'ell shook his hand. "It's good to _be_ home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for All About Agent! Vort will be included in later Jedi Besties stories if possible.
> 
> Wymer is pronounced 'vye-mer'. Basically, you pronounce it as if you're German.


End file.
